Residents near proposed downtown project are literally saying "not in our back yards". Article from the Ithaca Times:
The former Challenge building looms large for these East Seneca Street families who are concerned that redevelopment of that site -- with five variances being requested -- will have a dramatic negative impact on their neighborhood. (Photo by Rachel Philipson)
E. Seneca St. residents concerned about proposal for Challenge site
Joseph Murtagh
Reporter
A plan by local developer Bryan Warren to tear down the old Challenge building and erect a five-story building supporting commercial and residential uses has brought to light a fundamental tension between two different areas in the city: The downtown commercial zone, which favors the creation of high-density housing to attract young professionals and empty nesters downtown, and the historic East Hill neighborhood, which is comprised of several single-family homes. The Challenge site lies at "transition" zone between these two areas, posing certain difficulties for development, said Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance.
"It's one of the more difficult construction sites in the city," said Ferguson. "It would be a lot easier to put this housing site on a cornfield somewhere, but as it is, you're kind of stuck between these two neighborhoods, and there's not a whole lot of wriggle room."
At its January meeting, the board of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance drafted a pair of resolutions in support of the project, said Ferguson, who thinks that the sort off mixed-use project that Warren's development team put forth is vital for Ithaca's downtown.
"There is a very strong need for housing downtown, and that's a huge part of what we're talking about here," said Ferguson. "The housing that will be created by the Seneca Way project fits in with the type of housing that the city needs.
Other downtown business owners agree.
"I think the overall positives of this project outweigh the negatives," said Ursula Kerman Browning, who owns Viva Tacqueria and sits on the board of the DIA. "It's the Ithaca Gun story: Do you want a useless building that's just sitting there not collecting property taxes, or do you want a vibrant project in the middle of downtown?"
But residents along East Seneca Street, while they say they are not against development of the Challenge site in principle, are worried that the proposed building will impact the historic nature of their neighborhood. Their concerns chiefly revolve around the height of the building: The current B-4 zoning designation allows for four stories, but the development team is seeking five variances. The variances would allow a height of 56 feet, five stories, as well as changes to parking and loading requirements, and setbacks. That doesn't sit well with the neighbors, who say they will be staring at a wall if the building goes forward in its current form.
"The biggest concerns for us are the height of the building and how close it's going to be to the back of our properties," said Susan Robertson, who lives at 403 E. Seneca St. Robertson added that she has a long-term concern for the neighborhood, which has seen a dramatic shift in the last 15 years from rental properties to single-family homes.
"Currently there's a great blend of families and professionals here, plus a number of families with young children, and I'm worried that a project like this might shift the balance to the condition of East Seneca Street about 15 years ago, when there were far fewer owner-occupied homes," said Robertson, who added that some of her neighbors have threatened to move if the project goes forward under the current proposal.
"As far as moving out goes, that would be us for sure," said Robertson's neighbor Virginia Augusta, who has four children and has lived in the East Seneca Street for more than a decade. "We don't want to move, but this would put it over top. I'm not anti-business, I'm not anti-development, but we've invested a huge amount in this neighborhood and I don't think it's fair for an outside developer to swoop in here and partner up with Bryan Warren and plop this bizarre looking tower thing down in our backyards."
Augusta added that she is not against development of the Challenge site per se, but she would like to see the developers propose a building that fits better with the historic character of the surrounding neighborhood. Unlike the middle of downtown, where a six-story building would be appropriate, said Augusta, the Challenge site is a transitional area between the downtown commercial district and a historic residential area.
"There is a four-story zoning requirement there for a reason, because somebody realized this was an important threshold that shouldn't be crossed," said Augusta. "I would like to see the site developed, but just within the current zoning standards. Follow the rules. That's the cost of developing in this neighborhood. Everyone else has to take into account the historic nature of the neighborhood, and I don't see why it should be any different for these developers."
However, according to Warren, the project's developer, a four-story project of this type -- combining residential and commercial uses -- would be next to impossible financially.
"I would invite anybody to run the numbers and try to make it work with a four-story building," said Warren. "It might work with student housing. You could cram a bunch of student beds in there, but that's not the sort of project we're trying to do.
"This is a very risky site," he added. "It's been on the market for two years. Other developers have looked at it, and they've all taken a pass. Even what it would cost to tear down the old building, we're talking significant money. There are excavation costs, plus what it costs to actually build the building, not to mention the money we've already spent with Holt architects to come up with a plan. It will be a bankrupt project if we go with four stories."
Asked why he's interested in developing a project on such a risky site, Warren said that he's committed to the city's goal of seeing more high-density housing development in the downtown area and thinks a project like is in line with the city's vision. There is a high demand for housing and office space in downtown Ithaca, he noted, but it's possible for development projects to be thwarted by high taxes and public controversy, presenting a frustrating barrier to economic development.
"It seems like the City of Ithaca encourages developers to invest in downtown, but then you get to a certain point and certain people don't like it, and the minute you run into a little bit of controversy, suddenly everyone runs away and there's a different angle on it," said Warren. "I've met with the neighbors and we've had very good communication. It's not like we're shunning them. We're trying to make this work. We've been asked by many people to come up with attractive attributes that mitigate the impact of the site, and we're working on that."
According to Steve Hugo, principal with Holt Architects, several changes were made in the plans for the north faade of the building after meeting with the neighbors along East Seneca Street. In addition to these changes, the architects were also able to drop the building a foot down to 56 feet -- still 16 feet higher than what the current zoning permits.
"We added several architectural elements, including a bay window and pitched roofs, which are common features of residential architecture, the idea being to provide a smooth transition," said Hugo.
According to Augusta, however, the mitigating changes that have been proposed by the developers are superficial and don't alter the essential impact of the project.
"I can't express how irritating it is to be shown these plans for a second time and not see any changes," said Augusta. "What they've offered is window-dressing. Basically, we would still be looking out at this cement building. It's just ridiculous, a token extending of the hand."
At a meeting of the city's Planning Board last Tuesday, members of the Planning Board suggested the possibility of moving the north section of the building so that the faade runs along Seneca Way. This would remove the impact to the neighbors to the north, but there was some concern that it could adversely impact the former Unity House located next door, which is being renovated by a local developer into a boutique hotel. Moreover, the response from Warren's team was that such a move wouldn't be economically feasible.
"Totally re-orienting the building like that, changing the shape, would require multiple retaining walls, multiple levels of parking, and I think would greatly increase the cost beyond what is doable," said Hugo.
For Augusta and the other neighbors, it's been frustrating to hear the refrain that making significant alterations to the building wouldn't be "economically feasible."
"Who can dispute that it's not economically feasible?" said Augusta. "None of us, because we don't have the numbers. These guys are not doing this for charity. This is them going for the maximum profit they can get on the site. And I don't blame them for trying. But four stories is what it should be."
Councilman Eric Rosario, who represents the 2nd Ward on Common Council, said he believes the project should be scaled back and that the fact that the building needs five variances is a sign that the project is pushing at the edges of what is allowable under law.
"I think it's great the Bryan Warren is doing this, I think it's great that he's relying on two local architectural firms, but I think that everybody involved in this thing just needs to flex a little bit, whether it's Challenge maybe lowering its price, or Bryan Warren making some modifications, or the neighbors accepting some changes. We need to explore everything we can to make this project have less of an impact."
Here's the link:
http://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?...rticleID=13637
But here's an Op-Ed piece in the same Ithaca Times issue which supports the project:
Why Seneca Way Should Proceed
In the midst of the severest recession since the Great Depression, a development team from Ithaca and Binghamton has proposed an exciting project for the now empty and vacant Challenge Industries site. Their project, named Seneca Way, is a five-story mixed-use building consisting of 38 units of housing and 9,300 square feet of office space.
This site, located at the entrance to downtown on Route 79 at the base of East Hill, is a community gateway and one of the most visible development parcels in the city. It serves as the visual entrance to downtown and commands an important aesthetic location in the community. Today this location is represented by a vacant, obsolete building that has no landscaping, multiple curb cuts, and provides little aesthetic value to the community. By contrast, the Seneca Way project offers an attractive mid-level mixed-use project that fits into its downtown surroundings and provides an excellent entrance for downtown.
It is important to remember that there is a second neighborhood involved.... Downtown. The proposed project actually sits in the downtown neighborhood. The Downtown Ithaca Alliance, the formal elected organization that represents the owners, tenants, and residents of downtown, has officially endorsed and supported this project, and is urging the City Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals to act favorably. Downtown owners, businesses, and residents have voiced strong affinity for this project and the positive impact it will have on their neighborhood.
The historical use of this property has always been at odds with its uphill neighbors. The current building was originally constructed as a bustling factory that butted up to the base of East Hill and the East Seneca Street neighborhood. In recent years, the building was used by Challenge Industries as both office space, and as light manufacturing and assembly related sheltered workshop. The proposed Seneca Way project introduces housing to the site, a use far more compatible than the preceding historic uses.
The question about the need for more downtown housing arose during public comment. To the contrary, housing is very much needed. Even during this recession, the demand for downtown housing has remained robust at all price points. The DIA is commissioning a new housing market study later this year to help investors and lenders better understand and measure the depth and breadth of this demand. The Seneca Way project has also undertaken its own market study that has documented sufficient demand. The housing to be created by Seneca Way will help to further build the downtown residential environment long sought by the City.
The Seneca Way project evolved over time as the developer assessed the existing building and site, finally determining that an office and/or housing project would require demolition and subsequent new construction. This is why Challenge Industries chose to vacate the property. The cost to make the building suitable for office use was simply too great. The variances sought will help to make this new project financially feasible. If a height variance is not possible, the economically viable choices that fit within the current B4 zone become limited and may in fact be far less desirable and aesthetically pleasing than the proposed Seneca Way project. Among the uses approved by the B4 zone that might pass an economically feasible test are strip retail projects, a gas station, or a stand-alone retailer with needs for on-site parking.
Without density, this property will be difficult to redevelop. The height variance allows the developer to obtain the number of units and square feet needed to make the project cash flow. Without the height, the project would result in fewer housing units. Below a certain threshold, insufficient revenue is generated to support costs and it also becomes more expensive to provide ongoing management to the building.
Downtown development can improve nearby residential property values. One concern raised has been the potential for loss of value due to a project on the Challenge site. Historical evidence suggests an opposite outcome. A stronger, more vital downtown core with increased valuation and density development actually helps bolster adjacent residential neighborhood values. Should the Challenge site fall into long term vacancy and disrepair, this would more likely affect neighboring property values, but in a negative direction.
The Seneca Way project also minimizes loss of viewshed. Abutting and nearby residents have been justifiably concerned about their loss of viewshed. Recognizing this as a potential concern, the developers purposely designed the project to minimize viewshed loss. The skinny side of the building is turned toward Seneca Street, resulting in only a partial loss of view from any single location. Due to the grade change, only a handful of properties will experience any view shed losses at all.
The planned Seneca Way mixed-use housing and office project makes sense for the community. It is an appropriate and beneficial use for the location. It is a project that has listened to its neighbors and designed with their concerns in mind. It is a project that will return a tax exempt property to the City tax rolls. It is a project that contributes to the community goal of building housing in downtown Ithaca. For all these reasons it is a project that should move forward.
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This guest opinion was written by Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance.
Here's the link:
http://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?...rticleID=13647
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